Matthew Kadey

About Matthew Kadey

Registered Dietitian, Nutrition and Travel Writer, Professional Recipe Developer, Travel and Food Photographer, and Cookbook Author. Matthew Kadey has visited Ethiopia, Syria, Myanmar, Jordan, Ireland, New Zealand, Belize, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Laos, Cambodia, Nicaragua, Cuba, and Mexico. Many of these trips have taken place by bicycle. Sure points A and B are interesting, but it is what's between them that is really exciting.

Posts by Matthew Kadey:

Road to Lalibela

The Road to Lalibela: Cycling Ethiopia’s Ancient Heartland – Page Two By Matthew Kadey At roughly a mile long, it would be wise to make it through this treacherous darkness before any one of many screeching diesels takes us out. […]

Thailand Coffee: Doi Chaang, Thailand

Thailand Coffee: Doi Chaang in northern Thailand, where the Akha tribe has replaced the poppy crop with coffee beans that are said to be among the best.

Cycling Northern Laos: A Pedaler’s Paradise

Matthew Kadey cycles Laos: Biking the rugged northern frontier of Laos, a country largely untouched by modern tourism and fun of friendly locals.

The Road to Lalibela, Page 3

The Road to Lalibela, Ethiopia. A story of an arduous yet rewarding bike excursion through the country.

The Road to Lalibela: Cycling Ethiopia’s Ancient Heartland

My Canadian cycling mate on the road to Lalbela has promised me 450 miles of verdant views, epic climbs, screaming descents and cheap smooth beer in Ethiopia.

Biking Portugal’s Heartland With Gary Fisher

Matthew Kadey takes a grueling but exilharating bike tour through the heartland of Portugal, along with Gary Fisher, the father of the mountain bike.

Nicaragua: Home to a Fascinating Organic Coffee Plantation

Matthew Kadey takes an agro eco-tour of a fair-trade coffee plantation in Nicaragua. He also meets fascinating people along the way.

Biking Portugal’s Heartland – Page Two

Matthew Kadey takes a grueling but exilharating bike tour through the heartland of Portugal, along with Gary Fisher, the father of the mountain bike

Biking Belize and Guatemala: Temple to Temple

Matthew Kadey takes a mountain biking trip to Mayan ruins in Belize, with a side trip to Guatemala. This is a great place for cycling, he says.

Biking Utah’s Canyonlands: The White Rim Trail

Matthew Kadey describes a mountain biking trip on the White Rim Trail in Utah’s canyonlands.

SHOW NOTES

In this episode, we head to Lower Manhattan to explore the layers of history hidden beneath the skyscrapers of Wall Street. Longtime GoNOMAD contributor Susmita Sengupta, a New Yorker with a sharp eye for the city’s past, takes us on a walking journey through the Financial District — revealing the colonial streets, early American landmarks, and sacred spaces that shaped the beginnings of the United States.

We begin at the New York Stock Exchange, but instead of watching the crowds, Susmita leads us to the Federal Hall National Memorial, the “Birthplace of American Government,” where George Washington took the oath of office in 1789. The Doric columns, the bronze Washington statue, and the preserved balcony inside all bring the early republic vividly to life.

Just steps away stands Trinity Church Wall Street, a Gothic masterpiece and the oldest public building still in use in Manhattan. Inside, its stained glass windows glow above the grave of Alexander Hamilton, one of America’s most influential Founding Fathers.

We continue to St. Paul’s Chapel, the Georgian-era sanctuary where Washington prayed after his inauguration, before wandering toward Stone Street, a cobblestone lane dating back to the Dutch colonial era — built by enslaved Africans and now lined with lively restaurants.

Susmita then guides us to Fraunces Tavern Museum, a Revolutionary War landmark where patriots gathered and history unfolded. Across the street, she discovers the preserved remains of 17th‑century New Amsterdam, including the 1667 foundations of the Lovelace Tavern, visible beneath glass panels in the sidewalk.

The journey concludes at the powerful and moving African Burial Ground National Monument, the largest colonial-era burial site for enslaved and free Africans in North America. Rediscovered in 1991, it now stands as a solemn memorial and educational center honoring more than 400 individuals whose labor helped build New York City.

This episode is a thoughtful walk through the origins of the city — a reminder that beneath the financial capital of the world lies a deep, complex, and essential American story.

Written by GoNOMAD contributor Susmita Sengupta.

Matthew Kadey

About Matthew Kadey

Posts by Matthew Kadey:

SHOW NOTES

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